“A lot of people don't understand the importance of misting,” adds Jenkins. “Misting is one of the top things that you can do for your houseplants. I advise my clients to mist their houseplants one to two times per week.”
Some plants want daily misting; others are OK with two to three times a week.
Types of Plants That Like Mist
Tropical houseplants and plants that love high-humidity—such as the Chinese Evergreen, Boston Fern, and Majesty Palm—will benefit most from misting, says Plunkett. (Zebra plants, orchids, arrowhead plants, and begonias are just a few others that love mist.)
Letting the leaves get too wet and / or allowing them to stay excessively wet for a prolonged period of time can encourage mold growth on the leaf surface, so it's always important to ensure you don't ever allow puddles of water to form on your plants' leaves - this applies when watering as well as when misting.
As for misting — for the plants that need to be misted to thrive like air plants and ferns — it's best to mist them in the morning *and* the evening whenever possible. The morning mist helps to prepare them for the day ahead, while the evening misting helps create a little extra humidity.
“If you don't give them moisture, their leaves will dry out. If you want new foliage and growth, you need to mist them.”
As a rule of thumb, all cacti, drought tolerant plants, and the great majority of succulents, should never be misted! In addition to these plants, there are some plants that actually enjoy decent levels of humidity but, should not be misted because of their fuzzy foliage texture.
A: To a plant, there's no difference in the mist temperature. However, warm misting humidifiers sanitize the water as they heat it to vapor. That means there's a slightly smaller chance that humidity-borne diseases can develop with a warm mist temperature.
Some plant owners mist the base of the plant and the surface of the soil, but this has little benefit. Don't worry about misting the soil because the water won't make it to the roots to be absorbed.
Gardening: Misting can help plants cope in scorching-hot weather.
This said, a good mister is still considered an essential tool for houseplant longevity. That's because misting is one of the best ways to keep your houseplants clean and healthy. Over time dust settles on leaves making it more difficult for light to be absorbed for photosynthesis.
Filtered water works best for your plants
Filtered water is not only good for you, but it's great for your plants too. If you're new to water filters, you could start with an activated carbon filter first since there's a wide range to choose from.
In general, houseplants' potting soil should be kept moist, but not wet. They normally need watering once or twice a week in the spring and summer, but less in the autumn and winter. However, depending on the type of houseplant, this is not always the case.
For example, if you're using misting to clean your plants leaves you can do it once a week, but if you're using it to boost the humidity of your plant's environment, you'll want to do it more frequently. “Most [tropical plants] will be happy if you spritz them every few days,” Hull and Cheshire explain.
While spritzing can provide some moisture, unless the plant really thrives in humidity (ferns, orchids, or bromeliads, for example), Hovis says spritzing can do more harm than good. “What [plants] really need is a good soak,” she says.
A. While plants can absorb water through their leaves, it is not a very efficient way for plants to take up water. If water condenses on the leaf during high humidity, such as fog, then plants can take in some of that surface water. The bulk of water uptake by most plants is via the roots.
Leaving water out overnight also allows added elements in city tap water that plants don't appreciate, like chlorine, an opportunity to dissipate. Again, it's likely not necessary — there's not enough chlorine in most municipal tap water that you'd see an effect in your plants. But it can't hurt!
– Most houseplants prefer warm or tepid water over cold water, which can shock your plant. Warm water absorbs into soil best.
Most plants, like people, are comfortable in daytime temperatures between roughly 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit, and nighttime temps above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. To provide that for your plants, keep them away from both cold drafts and sources of heat, like radiators, ovens, fireplaces, and electronic devices.
Plants thrive as long as temperatures remain 90 degrees or below. Above this, they decline. Plants that aren't heat tolerant suffer even more. The longer it stays warm, the worse it gets.
Your Spider Plant will do well in normal household humidity but will thrive with a bit more humidity. Brown leaf tips may indicate the air is too dry, so mist your Spider Plant regularly using a Mister.
Use filtered or rain water that doesn't contain chlorine, fluoride or other chemicals. Always mist your plants in the morning so the leaves can dry out during the day.
Set your mister on a timer for 10 to 15 minutes mid-morning," she suggests. "Alternately, set the plants in a tray of pebbles and hand-mist the pebbles and leaves with a mist sprayer. Avoid spraying directly onto the leaves. You want to create moisture in the air around the leaves.